Toy gun



Jufly 27,, HIROSHI YANO TOY GUN Filed May 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y E955 HIROSIHI YANO 3,3196%61 TOY GUN Filed May 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,196,861 TOY GUN Hiroshi Yano, 3 l-chorne, Takase-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan Filed May 14, 1962, Ser. No. 194,619 Claims priority, application Japan, May 15, 1961, 36/ 17,383 3 Claims. (Cl. 124-27) The present invention relates to a toy gun, particularly to such that does not employ powder for discharge. The inventive toy gun has the trigger linearly movable backward and forward, which accurately and smoothly completes the preparatory and finishing actions of the striker means for discharge and clears the way for the striker means by sinking a portion of the trigger itself from its original position as it lies as pressure takes place on the trigger, thereby enabling the striker means to make an undisturbed linear forward movement from reaction or shock and an accurate strike as to make the ball have a linear flight and a long range.

The majority of the prior art toy guns have the trigger pivotally rotated by pinning a portion of it. Such type trigger however requires a specific pinning operation liable to become inaccurate and unreliable because of the reasons of the products being toys, have the trigger mechanism sooner get loose, and defective, refuse to work or the smooth interlocking with the .striker means; furthermore, as rotation occurs around the pin, the trigger comes to rotate with its head tilted about a lower point than the point it formerly rotated, resulting in a defect of unstabilized carriage of the ball upon a tilted head, open to escape, and inviting a troublesome necessity of providing a fresh structural reinforcement for holding the ball safety at a'certain definite point till it is struck by the striker means. The increase in the number of component members i an item disadvantageous for the interlocked action adding to an involved assembly operation.

In accordance with the invention, the trigger makes a linear movement in the direction of the gun barrel; therefore, if necessary, by augmenting the range of linear movement for the trigger and providing the striker means, which is made ready for strike of the ball by the pressure of the trigger, with a considerably strong striker spring, it is possible to obtain a great discharge force as well as an easy pressure on the trigger. As the descent of the interlocking portion of the trigger releases the trigger from the interlocked striker means in accordance with the invention, the striker means, as this gets in the discharge action, may encounter no checking force in its way. Furthermore, the use of the head portion of the trigger itself for holding the ball, it is noted, produces the advantage that the strike of the striker means and the release of the ball from check take place simultaneously and instantaneously,

Consequently, one of the objectsof the present invention is to provide a toy gun in which a trigger slidable in the direction of the gun barrel has an opening to sink prepared in a portion of the gun body to disengage the striker lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy gun in which a trigger slidable in the direction of the gun barrel has an opening to sink prepared in the upper or bottom wall of the guide groove with which the trigger engages by its sliding guide pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy gun in which a trigger slidable in the direction of the gun barrel and sinkable has a head portion projecting into the bore of the gun and serviceable as a stopper for the ball.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy gun in which a trigger slidable in the direction of the gun barrel and sinkable has a stopper for the ball and a stopper for the striker lever.

Some forms of embodiment of the invention have been set forth in the following description in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a partially cutaway front view of the toy gun as a form of embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the toy gun as another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a front outward view of the form of embodiment of FIGURE 2 with the reference numbers corresponding to the same numbers primed in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an end view as seen from the bore top.

In all the figures like numbers designate like portions or parts with the similar elements in the FIGURE 2 embodiment having the reference numbers primed. The following description is common to both illustrated embodiments, but for simplicity the reference numbers are limited to FIGURE 1, with the distinctions between the two embodiments being specifically indicated. Trigger 13 is fitted in groove 1-2 provided in the direction of gun barrel 11, the trigger having its projecting pin '14 fitted slidably in the groove and another projecting pin 16 at another portion of itself carried on the upper surface or the bottom one of wall 15 having in the length opening 17; either integrally with or separately from and accompanying action trigger 13, there is provided a ball stopper 19 lying interlocked with striker lever 18, The following elements in FIGURE 1 are common to both illustrated embodiments: 20 a magazine for balls, 21 a feed hole in the magazine for allowing one ball at a time to be fed downwardly, 22 the bore, 23 striker spring, 24 spring means for trigger, 25 guide wall for pin 16 at the end of guide groove 12 and 26 opening in wall 25 for return of the trigger. In contrast to the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1, with tension applying spring 24 and the top wall of guide groove 12 serving as a guide for pin 16, that illustrated in FIGURE 2 has a pressure applying spring 24 and the bottom wall of guide groove 12, serving as a guide for pin 16'. However, their action and effect are the same.

In accordance with the invention having such structural features as mentioned, and as described in FIGURE 1, trigger 13 lies forward at end of guide groove 12 for spring means 24 in normal position, with its pin 16 protruding through return opening 26 in guide wall 25 and lying on wall 25, while striker 18 is in its forward position under the bias of striker spring 23, and the feed hole will be closed. With trigger 13 pulled backward, pin 14 makes a linear backward movement in guide groove 12, ball stopper 19 accompanies striker lever 18 in backward movement compressing striker spring 23, and during the backward movement of striker lever 18, a single ball A drops down from feed hole 21 to be held on the head of trigger 13 as this comes just at the position and projects in projecting head as stopper in bore 22. As another pin 16 of trigger 13 reaches opening 17 of wall 25, it slides down through the opening, so the trigger head tilts in the front and stopper 19 disengages sliding from striker lever 18, and as this slides forward for striker spring 23 so disengages ball A held on the trigger head from this to be struck in a state free from any checking force, in this moment there is no element that checks striker lever 18 from forward movement except ball A and the entire strike force is transmitted to ball A with no loss therein. On the other hand, trigger 13 moves forward by means of spring means 24 and pin 16 hitting against guide wall 25 of groove 12 and through the following opening 16 returns to the original position easily rendering trigger 13 to have another continued discharge.

In accordance with the invention, and in contrast to the prior art toy guns with rotary triggers, the troublesome assembly operation for trigger 13 with pins and necessary members is dispensed with except the simple fitting of pins 14 and 16 in guide groove 12, which is a superiority to the prior art toy guns. It is noted besides that the movement backward and forward in the groove is eX- tremely smooth, and said linear movement of the trigger contributes to minimize the size of the trigger, whilst the usual rotary type inclined to be vertically lengthened in design about the pivoted'pin. It is possible to increase the length for the trigger to move by turning to account the lower wall of the bore as to increase the stroke to compress the striker spring of-striker lever 18; therefore, a very strong striker spring may be applied to striker lever 18 for a very strong strike of the ball which may result in a jump in the increase of initial speed, despite easy compression ofthe striker spring. As the trigger clears the way by its head portion and pin 16 through opening 17, stopper 19 slides to slightly disengage from striker lever 18, which, being free from springing reactionary shock, makes an accurately linear forward movement and an linear effective strike of ball A contributing much to the linearity of flight of ball A and the increased initial speed of the ball A and the increased number of hits at the aim. Furthermore, the head portion of the trigger making a horizontal movement may be used as a stabilized carrier for ball dropping down from feed hole 21; and as in the form of embodiment of FIGURE 2, there may be designed a ball holder 27 to the trigger beside the ball stopper 19'. It is clearly noted that the provision of'a holding means for ball A on the head portion of trigger 13' makes it possible that one action of trigger 13' carries out the strike of striker lever 18' and the release of the ball from check, perfectly synchronizing the movement of the strike of striker lever 18 and that of the release of ball A, without loss in force, to the clear result of the effective and powerful strike of ball A.

As illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the outward view of the inventive toy gun very resembles to a true one and has a voluminous appearance removing any impression of flatness, thinness or cheapness closely connected with any prior type toy gun, because of the successful structural design achieved such that magazine 20 is provided on gun barrel 11, and-bore 12 of the gun thereunder on the consideration of trigger 13 and striker lever 18 making a linear movement. The simple and ingenious combination of the linearly moving trigger and the striker lever capable of high performance makes out the main advantage and a distinguished feature of the present inventive toy gun. While the present inventive toy gun has been particularly shown and described with reference to two preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of this invention is to be limited only by reference to the following claims. What I claim is: 1. A toy gun comprising: a barrel through which a projectile may be ejected, a trigger,

said trigger having a first pin and a second pin, a groove formed parallel to said barrel and having a release opening,

said first and second pins cooperating with said groove to restrain said trigger for movement along a line parallel to said barrel between two extreme positions, a striker which engages a projectile, a striker spring engaging said striker for ejecting a projectile,

said trigger engaging said striker and compressing said striker spring when moved along a line parallel to said barrel toward a first extreme position, said first pin moving through said release opening when said trigger reaches the first extreme position of its motion along a line, said trigger pivoting about said second pin to release said striker and permit ejection of a projectile by the force of the compressed striker spring. 2. A toy gun as claimed in claim 1 comprising: said trigger having a stop portion projecting into said barrel,

said stop portion serving as a receptor for a projectile. 3. A toy gun as claimed in claim 2 comprising: a magazine to contain a plurality of projectiles which may be supplied singly to said trigger.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,240,987 9/17 Lefever 124-27 2,528,723 11/50 Hane l2427 X 2,705,003 3/55 Schensted 124-16 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

JAMES W. LOVE, LOUIS R. PRINCE, Examiners. 

1. A TOY GUN COMPRISING: A BARREL THROUGH WHICH A PROJECTILE MAY BE EJECTED, A TRIGGER, SAID TRIGGER HAVING A FIRST PIN AND A SECOND PIN, A GROOVE FORMED PARALLEL TO SAID BARREL AND HAVIG A RELEASE OPENING, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PINS COOPEATING WITH SAID GROOVE TO RESTRAIN SAID TRIGGER FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A LINE PARALLEL TO SAID BARREL BETWEEN TWO EXTREME POSITIONS, A STRIKER WHICH ENGAGES A PROJECTILE, A STRIKER SPRING ENGAGING SAID STRIKER FOR EJECTING A PROJECTILE, SAID TRIGGER ENGAGING SAID STRIKER AND COMPRESSING SAID STRIKER SPRING WHEN MOVED ALONG A LINE 